Parallel Execution -- 3 Limiting PX Servers

In my previous posts, I have demonstrated how Oracle "auto"computes the DoP when using the PARALLEL Hint by itself, even when PARALLEL_DEGREE_POLICY is set to MANUAL.  This "auto"computed value is CPU_COUNT x PARALLEL_THREADS_PER_CPU.

How do we limit the DoP ?

1.  PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS is an instance-wide limit, not usable at the session level.

2.  Resource Manager configuration can be used to limit the number of PX Servers used

3.  PARALLEL_DEGREE_LIMIT, unfortunately, is not usable when PARALLEL_DEGREE_POLICY is MANUAL

[oracle@localhost ~]$ sqlplus '/ as sysdba'

SQL*Plus: Release 11.2.0.2.0 Production on Tue Mar 24 22:57:18 2015

Copyright (c) 1982, 2010, Oracle.  All rights reserved.


Connected to:
Oracle Database 11g Enterprise Edition Release 11.2.0.2.0 - Production
With the Partitioning, OLAP, Data Mining and Real Application Testing options

SYS>show parameter cpu

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
cpu_count                            integer     4
parallel_threads_per_cpu             integer     4
resource_manager_cpu_allocation      integer     4
SYS>show parameter parallel_degree_policy

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
parallel_degree_policy               string      MANUAL
SYS>show parameter parallel_max

NAME                                 TYPE        VALUE
------------------------------------ ----------- ------------------------------
parallel_max_servers                 integer     64
SYS>  
SYS>select * from dba_rsrc_io_calibrate;

no rows selected

SYS>
SYS>connect hemant/hemant
Connected.
HEMANT>select degree from user_tables where table_name = 'LARGE_TABLE';

DEGREE
----------------------------------------
         4

HEMANT>select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table;

  COUNT(*)
----------
   4802944

HEMANT>select executions, px_servers_executions, sql_fulltext
  2  from v$sqlstats
  3  where sql_id = '8b0ybuspqu0mm';

EXECUTIONS PX_SERVERS_EXECUTIONS SQL_FULLTEXT
---------- --------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         1                    16 select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table

HEMANT>

As expected, the query uses 16 PX Servers (and not the table-level definition of 4).  Can we use PARALLEL_DEGREE_LIMIT ?

HEMANT>alter session set parallel_degree_limit=4;

Session altered.

HEMANT>select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table;

  COUNT(*)
----------
   4802944

HEMANT>select executions, px_servers_executions, sql_fulltext
  2  from v$sqlstats
  3  where sql_id = '8b0ybuspqu0mm';

EXECUTIONS PX_SERVERS_EXECUTIONS SQL_FULLTEXT
---------- --------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         2                    32 select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table

HEMANT>

No, it actually still used 16 PX servers f or the second execution.

What about PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS ?

HEMANT>connect / as sysdba
Connected.
SYS>alter system set parallel_max_servers=4;

System altered.

SYS>connect hemant/hemant
Connected.
HEMANT>select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table;

  COUNT(*)
----------
   4802944

HEMANT>select executions, px_servers_executions, sql_fulltext
  2  from v$sqlstats
  3  where sql_id = '8b0ybuspqu0mm';

EXECUTIONS PX_SERVERS_EXECUTIONS SQL_FULLTEXT
---------- --------------------- --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
         3                    36 select /*+ PARALLEL */ count(*) from Large_Table

HEMANT>

Yes, PARALLEL_MAX_SERVERS restricted the next run of the query to 4 PX Servers.  However, this parameter limits the total concurrent usage of PX Servers at the instance level.  It cannot be applied or derived to the session level.

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